Shoe.



G. H. RICKE.

SHOE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26.1915.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

UNITED snares PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE RICKE, OF CINCINNATI, onio,assieno y-mnnoranp mnsnniass en ivrnn'rs, T FLEXIBLE WOODEN-SOLE SHOEHCQIYLBANX, or CINCINNATI, on o, A,

PAR nEBsHIr.

SHOE.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2,1915.

Application-filed July 26,1915. SeriaLNo 41 963 cityof Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoes,

of which the following is a specification;

My invention belongs to that class of shoes provided with a sole made from a nonflexible material, such as wood, fiber or.

equivalent material, but which, by reason of my unique and peculiar construction, 1s rendered flexible or yielding, so that it will give I or bend at a given point or points; thus en,- abling the wearer to walk, run orzstoop, the same as if the ordinary leather shoe were used by him. p

Shoes of this character are to be worn by workers who stand on wet, damp floors or hard concrete floors, ondamp-ground, who.

work in places where it is impossible to use leather soled shoes, asinichemical works,

dye houses and the like; byparties who are exposed to cold, damp and inclement, weather. Byusing-these shoes the feet are kept dry and warm and the health kept .normal and not impaired.

My new shoes are very simple and are cheap of manufacture and highly efficient in,

service.

In the-accompanying drawing forming,

part of this specification, Figure 1, is a vperspective view of my new shoe, Fig. 2, is a sectional view, taken on the line.22 of Fig.- 4, Fig. 3, is an isometric view of the two joint-parts, Fig, 4, is a plan view ofthe sole, the upper being removed, and Fig. 5, is a side view of the joint parts in position, the sole being end.

In the present instance the sole informed of two parts, the arch and heel part 1, and

thetoe part-2, both made from-.woodand provided at their edge with a groove or'cut away part 3, into which the edge of the upper 4 fits and is tackedby nails 5, but it may be otherwise attached, if desired.

Between the sole parts 1 and 2, I place or form a joint and at this point the sole bends and yields as in walking. This joint is very simple and is formed of two parts 6 and 7, the part 6 being attached to the part 2 and the part 7 being attached to the sole part 1.

The joint part 6 is provided with a forward extension 8 and the joint part 7 is partly broken away 1 at .each

parts are: together, theupper edges ofthe extensions 8 and 9 'willonly reach to the lower level of the cut away part 3, so that the-upper,4 can be properly put onto the sole parts. Part 6 has a convex facelO and the-part 7 a concave-face 12 and the back of each 'part is straight or The part 6 fits withinthe rear part7, its convex face,10 fitting into the-concave face, 12 of part 7 and the extensions 8 fitting inside theforward part-ofextension 9, the edge of the sole at each side being recessed, or I cut away to allow; the, extensions 8 and 9 to -fitjpropel ly and :so that the outer face of extension 9' will-lie fiush with the outeredge ofthe solezpartsand vfor-n1 an even uninterrupted surface which will enhance theappearanceof-the shoeiandwill also hide the joint ,itself so that theimeeting line between the parts 6-and; 7 is not visible.

IIlntheeXt6I1S1OIl 8 on joint part 6, I pro vide holes 14 and 18 and invthe forward part: of the extension 9'of1joint part7, I providehole'15aand atthe-rear ofasaid. extension -9, I provide a holef 16. By screws 19 passing through holes 18, I hold the joint part-16in position and by screws l'? passing through place and position: in anyother desired nan-v ner.

tween ,the faces of the meeting ends ofthe When in place. and fitting together be of anydesired shape soleparts 1 and 2,the hole oreye 14 on ex tension 8 and the hole or eye 15 on extension; 9; coincide-and screws-i13 are passed therethrough and into the forward or toe section 2, but any other means may be used holes 16, I hold the joint part-7 in position 4 9 in the sole sections and I ;m'ay;-hold them in joint made in the shoe sole, the toe and the arch and heel section will move up and down as the foot bends, so the act of walking is followed by these parts and at the same time there is no friction between the faces 10 and 12 at the juncture of the joint so there will be no wear or buckling of the leather.

Over the back of the parts '3 and 7 and over their top edges I place a leather cap or hood 20, which, together with the parts 6 and 7 can be cemented or otherwise connected in place so as to be firmly positioned. This cap 20 prevents any water, liquid, moisture, debris or the like from entering and passing through the joint into the shoe and thus the foot is kept in a normal state, just as in a leather shoe. I may make my hood 20 outof any other material or of any shape or contour. I dispense with the use of any I extraneous parts or pieces in making this oint; in fact it is made from the least possible number of parts. It will wear as it is not subject to great strain on account of its unique construction and arrangement. The edges of the hood 20 may extend over and be tacked down with the lower edge of the up- The sole and upper and the joint parts may be made of any material desired. The parts which form the joint may be reversed on the sole sections, so that the fulcrum point will be on the rear section. However, I prefer to use the parts as set forth and shown.

While I have described one specific form of carrying my invention into effect, it will be readily apparent that the same is capable of considerable modification and change,

without material departure from the spirit and principleof the invention, and I wish to be understood as claiming that such modifications and changes will still fall within the scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and my invention 7 and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

' 1. In a shoe of the character described, a sole comprising a forward section and a rear section made of non-flexible material, a oint between said sections comprising a metal part having a concave face and a flange at each end and a metal part having a convex Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of 4, when it is put in place on the sole.

face fitting said concave face and a flange at each end, means cooperating with the flanges on one part for securing said part to the sides of the rear sole section, means cooperating with the flanges on the other part for securing said part to the sides of the forward sole section, and means cooperating with the flanges on both parts for fulcruming the part secured to one sole section to the other sole section.

2. In a shoe of the character described, a sole comprising a forward section and a rear section made of non-flexible material, a oint between said sections comprising a metal part having a concave face and a flange at each end and a metal part having a convex face fitting said concave face and a flange at each end, means cooperating with the flanges on one part for securing said part to the sides of the rear sole section, means cooperating with the flanges on the other part for securing said part to the sides of the forward sole section, means cooperating with the flanges on both parts for fulcruming the part secured to one sole section to the other sole section, and a cap fitting over said oint.

3. In a shoe of the character described, a sole comprising a forward section and a rear section made of non-flexible material, a joint between said sections comprising a metal part having a concave face and a flange at each end and a metal art having a convex face fitting said concave face and a flange at each end, meanscoiiperating with the flanges on one part for securing said part to the sides of the rear sole section, means cooperating with the flanges on the other part for securing said part to the sides of the forward sole section, and means cooperating with the flanges on bothparts for fulcruming the part secured to one sole section to the other-sole section, the flanges of one joint part fitting within the flanges of the other joint part at the sides of the shoe.

Witness my hand at Cincinnati, Ohio,

July 23, 1915.

- GEORGE H. RICKE. Witnesses:

H. E. CAns'rnNs, L. M. DUNLAR Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

